Strategy instruction effects on word problem solving in children with math difficulties are moderated by working memory capacity, favoring high-WMC levels¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2013 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Treatment effects were significantly moderated by WMC, with outcomes higher when WMC was set to a high rather than low level. → Swanson 2013 q3 i? A significant WMC × Treatment × Ability Group interaction emerged at Wave 2 and across waves. → Swanson 2013

Evidence¶

Swanson 2013¶

Swanson, H. L., Lussier, C. M., & Orosco, M. J. (2013). Cognitive Strategies, Working Memory, and Growth in Word Problem Solving in Children With Math Difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(4), 339–358. doi:10.1177/0022219413498771

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Randomized 2-year intervention with 192 children in Grades 2 and 3, analyzed with mixed ANCOVA (HLM) with WMC as covariate. The article reports "treatment effects were significantly moderated by WMC" with outcomes higher at high WMC.

"The intent-to-treat as well as the “as-treated” analyses showed that treatment effects were significantly moderated by WMC. In general, treatment outcomes were higher when WMC was set to a high rather than low level."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Working Memory — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• Children without math difficulties outperformed children with math difficulties in word problem solving overall, but gaps narrowed on some conditions at Wave 2 — related
• At high WMC, children with math difficulties performed significantly better under visual-only strategy conditions relative to other conditions at Wave 4 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Strategy training outcomes on word problem accuracy interact with working memory capacity, favoring children with higher WMC — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Working memory capacity correlates with outcomes differently across strategy conditions, with compensatory negative correlations under materials-only instruction — related
• At high pretest WMC, the visual-only condition outperformed verbal-only, verbal+visual, and control on solution accuracy — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• At low pretest WMC, control children outperformed the strategy conditions on solution accuracy — related
• The treatment x WMC interaction persists after controlling reading, calculation, and fluid intelligence — related